Unbelievable Waste of Time... and everything else

It is incomprehensible how this footage ever saw the light of day. I
cannot believe a TV station would dare air it, even TBN, as just
happened in Dallas. This work is so poor, in so many ways.

More recent critiques and comments in this area do offer some needed
explanation for the failed script, acting, directing and all technical
aspects of this... film. Even low budget indy writers and directors I
know, would never make the rookie mistakes displayed here. They are
simply inexcusable.

The concept for this script is so lame, I cannot imagine anything
making it salvageable.

I cannot even justify a further investment of time to comment on it.
What an embarrassment.

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5 out of 6 people found the following review useful:

So bad, it's AMAZING

This is one of the most hilariously AWFUL movies I've ever seen.
Incompetence shines from every frame of this train wreck, and it is
GLORIOUS. Acting that would be deemed too poor for even the worst
community theater? Check. Terrible, inconsistent, and sometimes missing
sound? Double Check! A script so poorly written, so inconsistent, and
so stupid that no one in the universe could ever take it seriously?
TRIPLE CHECK. And, on top of that, they deliberately mis-classified the
movie on netflix to try and get non-Christians to watch it. Classy.
Bottom line, if you want to see some of the worst written Christian
propaganda ever ineptly put to film, this movie is for you. I won't
spoil the stone's secret, but it's so stupid your brain might not be
able to handle it. I recommend getting together with some friends and a
LOT of booze, then riffing the crap out of this.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

God-awful

The Sobbing Stone is just about as bad as it gets, and that's not
hyperbole. I think it cracked my bottom 10 list, and I watch a lot of
bad movies. Even among the worst Lifetime Cable, zero-budget horror,
shot-on-video Zen Cinema, and Christian rapture movies that I've seen,
this is a low point. The Sobbing Stone is that bad.

This is a movie about a talking rock (which looks a lot like a malted
milk ball) that sobs openly because of Jesus. A bunch of "scientists"
sit around and listen to it and occasionally argue very passionately
about science and religion. These scientists rarely make anything
resembling a coherent argument (and they never use the scientific
method in their approach) but in the end... SPOILER! ...they're all
touched by the blood of Jesus and horrified into submission to the
cross.

This movie is what happens when a small town church group decides to
turn their Christian guilt into a regional embarrassment.

Much of the movie is shot without the aid of lighting and the few
scenes that are lit manage to get the lighting equipment in the shot.
You can also play "spot the boom pole" if that's your thing.

The bulk of the movie takes place in a classroom. When the story does
venture beyond these walls, no effort is made at all to disguise
Grandma's bedroom into looking like a believable location for the
characters. Scenes depicting biblical events are cringe-inducing in
their factitiousness.

Beware the positive reviews you might stumble upon, they lie. This
movie isn't interesting. It isn't well-made. It does not contain a
surprising twist or an effective revelation. It is not the work of a
promising new director making the best of his small budget. The cast is
not talented or good. The deaf girl does not have a future in acting.
None of the kind words you might read about this pile are honest
opinions, or, if they do represent someone's honest opinion it's the
opinion of an idiot with wretched taste.

Put simply: This movie is incompetently
written/directed/acted/edited/scored. It's simply god-awful. You would
be best to watch just about anything else.

Oh, and I badly wanted to eat that chocolate ball the whole movie.

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2 out of 3 people found the following review useful:

A new low in Christian filmmaking.

This movie is terrible in so many ways. First, the story. It's an
unusual one, which isn't a bad thing in itself, but "The Sobbing Stone"
tries to be a mystery working up to a twist in the end, but fails
miserably because the big revelation in the end is obvious from the
beginning, which make the whole "story" pointless. There's lots of bad
acting and tedious religious discussions that start out of nowhere not
because it comes natural in the story but because the movie needs them
because it is a Christian film and to pad the running time (basically
there's a Christian character and an angry atheist who argue about
who's the worst hypocrite and it turns out the atheist has some
Freudian reason to dislike Christians because they remind him of his
bad mother). Second, I can forgive a low budget feeling if a movie is
well made but director and editor Robert G. Christie shows a complete
lack of talent. I haven't seen such bad directing and editing in years.
He seems to be unaware of such basics as the 180 degree rule.

There's really no reason to watch "The Sobbing Stone" unless you want
to experience a new low in Christian filmmaking. This is a film that
truly deserves its IMDb rating of 1,3/10. It makes movies like "C Me
Dance" and "Spirits Among Us" look like Oscar material. This may very
well be the worst Christian movie ever made outside of Nigeria (and at
least "666, Beware the End is at Hand" had some entertainment value).

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3 out of 17 people found the following review useful:

Unique and original.

As an enthusiast of independent films, I applaud the Sobbing Stone for
it's originality and spirit. After viewing this work it was encouraging
to know there are filmmakers out there willing to risk public scrutiny
and undue criticism for their endeavors in spiritual matters. Although
the film was a bit slow in the beginning the pace seemed to pick up
soon after and, when the story did begin to unfold, we were treated to
some fine performances and storytelling. I will encourage others to
view the Sobbing Stone if anything for it's unabashed commitment and
willingness to be an original work with fine storytelling. I'm sure the
director has a place in the entertainment industry. There is a great
void in Hollywood for this kind of material and it seems there are
productions stepping up to the plate.

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0 out of 14 people found the following review useful:

A terrific film with a surprising ending

I loved this film and think it portrayed an interesting and unique look
at the sacrifice made for us two thousand years ago. I have seen the
movie over 3 times, and each time it did not fail to keep me
spellbound. I especially like the crowd scene and the ending scene.
They both were very touching. I think the acting was very good and
believable. The deaf girl did a very good job. I hope Mr. Robert
Christie continues with his film-making and disregards disparaging
remarks made by others that are suffering from "sour grapes" syndrome.
More power to you and your actors....I hope we get to see more of your
work in the near future. How about a sequel?

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5 out of 33 people found the following review useful:

Utter silence at the end

The really cool thing about this movie is that it had that very eerie
feeling to it and it made you think. I've got to admit I jumped a
couple of times from my seat! Throughout the entire plot I pretty much
felt a little "edgy" and that continued to build and by the
ending..well...let's just say I and my buddies were pretty much choked
up and silent at the same time. This is definitely a good movie to see
if you want to have that swirl of emotions where things just hit you
right in your heart. Also particularly liked the background music b/c I
thought it added to the eeriness. I liked the acting as well -
particularly liked the Professor and Alan - very real and convincing.
The others were as well, but these two were by far my favorites. What I
also thought was a really good element to this movie is that it can be
watched by adults and kids alike. Adults because of the power and
emotional impact that it can provide and kids because it sent a message
w/o gore and sexual content. Anyways, I give it a thumbs up.

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6 out of 37 people found the following review useful:

A moving film

Contrary to some people's feelings on the film, I found Sobbing Stone
to be quite a fascinating concept. If there was a lack of understanding
to the plot, it came from a lack of attention span. It was pretty clear
cut.

I always like to believe that I would have tried to stop Jesus from
being crucified but in actuality, who knows? I could have been just as
bad as the rest of the mob that was there.

As for the look of the film, I thought that the environment looked dark
but considering the nature of the film, I thought it was appropriate.

Robert Christie did a phenomenal job with the budget that he had to
work with and I would be very impressed if anyone could have done what
he did with this film.

There is always room for growth in the entertainment industry and I
think Robert just took a big step forward.

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7 out of 39 people found the following review useful:

Robert G. Christie's Best!

The Sobbing Stone tackles a difficult topic and does so from a unique
perspective. Although a small part, Michelle Schaeffer gives a
fantastic performance as the Professor's daughter, and could be a star
in the making. A strong opening sequence kicks off the picture and use
of special effects adds a mysterious element while not going over the
top like many films in that genre do.

The music is haunting, the sound effects realistic and the ending
leaves you in dismay. I have seen pictures by RCFeatures before, and
this is Robert Christie's best one yet!

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8 out of 41 people found the following review useful:

The Sobbing Stone was a fantastic film indeed

I am very pleased I went Gardels had great food and The Sobbing Stone
was very good once you start watching it you can't stop ...I enjoyed
the low budget film exp ...and even forgot that it was a small film
budget I had heard the film was cast 3 times in the audience during
filming , I could tell there was some kind of strange editing but all
in all very entertaining I liked the Character Michael and The Prof I
am sure this film has a place. I hope everyone can get a chance to
watch it or pick it up somewhere I know I sat with 200 people that
night it showed in Baltimore MD and the crowd seemed to be glued to
every word although I am not much on that type of film I enjoyed it
Great Job RC Features and all the local actors in that area